(James Smith Cree Nation) The chief of a Saskatchewan First Nation who was the scene of a series of fatal stabbings earlier this month is traveling to Toronto for a meeting with ministers of the federal cabinet.
Posted at 10:39 p.m.
Chief Wally Burns of the James Smith Cree Nation says his community is broken and saddened by the violence.
On September 4, 10 people were stabbed to death and 18 others were injured in the community and nearby village of Weldon, Saskatchewan.
The suspects, brothers Damien and Myles Sanderson, also died – Damien of non-self-inflicted injuries and Myles of “medical distress” while in Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) custody.
Chief Burns did not say which ministers he would meet with, but discussions must include the trauma that First Nations in Saskatchewan have continued to experience for generations, including from the residential school system.
He says the community struggled with trauma long before the murders, and he hopes the federal and provincial governments will help them deal with it.
Mr. Burns is also calling for community policing and a rehabilitation center to help people deal with their addictions.
“Others [Premières Nations] are affected by this trauma [intergénérationnel] Wally Burns argued Tuesday, citing the 2016 shooting in La Loche, Saskatchewan, where four people were killed and seven others injured.
“I think a lot of that brings us together and we have to look at how to protect our nation, Canada. »